FORT PIERCE — Holiday lights once again will twinkle and dance in the downtown this year.

Commissioners voted this week to provide $25,000 from the city's general fund to help front the cost of the seasonal light display at Marina Square and a Christmas tree in the downtown roundabout. It will be added to $25,000 commissioners pledged Oct. 3 from money the city took in from Florida Gaming Centers, operator of Fort Pierce Jai Alai & Poker, said Anne Satterlee, the city community and marketing manager.

The city is soliciting donations to defray the expense, but the vendor has upfront costs that must be met and needed a commitment to proceed, Satterlee said.

"We're happy to do that again, because everybody does love it," she said. "There's like 100,000 lights. They are all over the palm trees and plants ... and they are synchronized to music."

The display will be introduced Dec. 4 as part of an annual downtown festival from 1-6 p.m. A parade begins at about 4 p.m. Santa lights the tree at 6 p.m. and as soon as it is lit, the city flips the switch and turns on the waterfront lights, Satterlee said.

"With the holiday parade and kickoff tree lighting, I would venture to say we probably have 5,000 to 6,000 people in downtown," she said.

Donations already have started coming in. The Fort Pierce South Beach Association presented the city with $1,000 Monday and Waste Management has pledged $3,500 toward the tree, Satterlee said. Main Street has received another $150. That money will be placed in the city's general fund to replace a portion of the $25,000 commissioners have agreed to spend.

Those who want to contribute can contact Main Street Fort Pierce at 772-466-3880 or the city manager's office at 772-460-2200, ext. 377.

The lights will be on display from 6-10 p.m. nightly until Jan. 2 and Satterlee says they usually draw 500 or 600 people a night. "They'll come back night after night."

"To my knowledge," she said, "there is nothing else like it on the Treasure Coast."